Only days before Halloween, the city of Stillwater, OK was rocked by a devastating murder-suicide. The bodies of two teenagers were found at the overlook of Stillwater Lake that is popular with young couples.

Eric Birnham, a senior on the Varsity Football team at Stillwater High, was found in the back seat of his vehicle, parked at the overlook. Police declined to comment on the condition of the body, but sources say that the running back died from a single stab wound to the heart.

The body of his sweetheart, Stacy Winters, was spotted floating in Stillwater Lake by a passing motorist.

"I don't understand how this could have happened," Janice Birnham, Eric Birnham's mother, stated tearfully, "Eric and Stacy seemed so happy together. They were going to go to the same college. They were going to go to Homecoming together. They were even on the Homecoming Court. I don't understand why Stacy would kill my boy!"

This is not the first occurrence of such a tragedy at Lover's Point. Two other such murder-suicides have taken place at the same overlook of the placid Stillwater Lake, one in 1972 and another in 1987.

***

~ Blackwater, OK - 60 miles from Stillwater ~

The Devil's Trap stood on a lonely stretch of Hwy 177 just off of I-35, and it was a good thing, too. Few businesses would have survived with such an establishment next door. Like a dirty, dingy biker bar with a paranormal bent, The Devil's Trap served a specific clientele, and the general public didn't seem to care all that much for the unshaven transients that always seemed to frequent the bar.

The bar didn't actually look all that odd inside, if one were to ignore the bricks of pink salt that were set into the floor just inside the door, or the strange symbols that were painted in white on the ceiling here and there. Pentagrams inside circles with strange letterings. Otherwise, the place looked like any other dirty biker bar. Old pool tables with faded green felt took up a large portion of the floorspace, and against the back wall stood a long bar stocked with bottles, mostly types of whiskey.

The two young men that sat at the bar nursing beers were currently the only patrons. One had a military-style cut to his hair and wore a leather bomber jacket and a sour look on his face. The other was a few inches shorter and had a much more mischievous look about him, although it may have been the long fire-engine-red hair that he sported. They were in the midst of a whispered conversation.

Gabriel Brooks, the owner-proprietor-bartender, stood behind the bar, many feet off to the left of the whispering duo. The surprisingly clean-shaven middle-aged man apparently had a thing for the Old West, because the sleeves of his white long-sleeved shirt were rolled up and held with a snappy pair of black arm-garters. Regulars knew not to make fun of them, but every so often a new hunter would roll in and make a snarky comment about Gabe's choice in fashion. Other than his reaction to snide comments about his choice in clothing, Gabe Brooks was a fairly genial man, always forthcoming with any sort of knowledge he had, mundane or...not.

This was the kind of place to come to not only have a few moments of downtime, but to plan a mission and get some intel. The perfect place to start.

Grant turned off his car, breathing slowly. His aunt had told him about the bar he was currently outside, with nothing more than a 'go there, I'm sure you'll find something.' Grant sighed loudly. He had always known his aunt was a highly cryptic person, but this was too much. He hit the steering wheel angrily as memories came up. There was the first riddle his aunt had ever given him. She was leaving and he had asked 'to where' and her reply had him sitting at the kitchen table the entire day. The riddle made sense now, but not back then. He muttered the riddle, frowning slightly. "To a place, you shall not know. A demon's face, is where I go. Until the night, I shall not rest. Now eat your breakfast, and do your best." He rolled his eyes. His aunt always enjoyed riddles and brainteasers. He opened the door to his car and stepped out, straightening his long jacket before closing his car door and locking it. He took his phone from his pocket and checked it, noting the fact that he had no missed calls. He pocketed the phone and entered the bar. He looked around, surprised by the fact that there was only three people in the bar, including the bartender. He walked up to the bar, sitting on a stool and smiling at the bartender. "Can I get a whiskey on the rocks?"

Fenix13: Remember this well Gareth: With great power... comes hot bitches.

A car door slammed shut rather loudly outside, which the bar patrons easily would've heard. Then came a tall figure slowly opening the door and just as slowly stumbling in. He was breathing heavily, mouth gaping open while most of his mullet was falling forward around his neck. He looked up at the bartender, recognizing him immediately from the one other time he'd visited the place. He strolled forward and nearly collapsed into the bar counter.

"Water..." He said through heavy gasps and subtle pants, his lowered brow damp and shimmering. Gabe was quick to fill up the glass for the man before getting on to Grant's order, since only one of them seemed in need of their drink. The man grabbed the glass. He then tossed it back, not so much drinking it as he threw the contents over his head and face. Though the bit that did make it to his mouth did indeed taste wonderful.

Snakes set the glass down, sighing with some relief. "Ahhhh.... One more for the throat." He said while gratefully nodding to Gabe. He then ran a hand slowly over his face, grumbling a bit under his muffled voice. "......damned.....ken AC..." Was all that was remotely discernable through his hand.

Benigno rubbed his tired eyes as he walked into town, looking around the town Stillwater. His feet dragged slightly and his red hair messy, "Blackwater," the boy murmured as he watched, "Like the ocean floor, dirty and empty. No busnesses, wha." He shook his head and brushed his scar, "I should probably get a weapon, I can't just keep using what's around me."

The teenager walked calmly through the town, headphones around his neck and his sweater zipped up, blinking his baby eyes. "The Devil's Trap, wha?" he murmured to himself, "Why not?" He walked to the bar, sliding easily between the parked bikes and watching the smokers outside of their homes, their smoke trailing sweetly through the air. He liked the smell, but wouldn't smoke, too much of an expense. He walked slowly into the bar and looked around with his hair covering his eyes; five men, all older and taller than him, most likely stronger as well.

He walked to the bar and said softly, "H'lo, can I get a coke please? After he's done?" He looked to the bartender with a child-like smile, aware of the others in the room. He listened to the others around him, content to find information without asking.

Last edited by Keiran on Wed Apr 27, 2011 5:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Some bartenders might question Nino's age, but not Gabriel. He just gave the young man a look-over and then proceeded to pull a frosty glass bottle of coke from his beer cooler, opening it with a flick of his wrist on the bar before setting it on the lacquered wood bartop.

"That all for ya, son?" Gabe asked with a genial demeanor, although that demeanor was obviously only one layer of his personality. His eyes held too much depth for anyone but the most shallow person to assume that he was only what he appeared to be. Grant's whiskey was soon poured with the subtle flourishes of one who had been at the job a long, long time.

The three new patrons got glances from the other two; the redhead's eyes were amused, but his partner seemed wary and paranoid.

The quip that left the redhead's lips was too quiet for Grant or Sylus to catch, but the other man snorted, turning back to his beer as he shook his head.

"Asshole," he said, louder than his companion and obviously directing it at the mischievous man. He leaned forward a bit as he tilted his bottle up, taking another sip, and then tapped the folded newspaper that sat in front of him. His voice was lower, but if anyone were trying to listen, it wouldn't be too hard to eavesdrop. "I dunno if this is our kind of thing..."

"But I thought you trusted that Bobby guy?" the redhead asked, puzzlement replacing the mirth on his face.

"Yeah, well, he did help us out back there, but this...This doesn't seem like anything weird is going on."

"It doesn't? The fact that this is the third time it's happened or that the chick had no reason to go off the psycho deep end and off her man and then kill herself doesn't strike you as weird, Jim Bob?"

Samantha parked her bike beside the others as she pulled out the remaining chocolate bar she had yet to eat. After scarfing it down, she walked into the bar, smiling. "Hey, barkeeper, got any eats?" she asked rather loudly, trying to draw attention to herself.It was a normal day so far and she needed a reason to laugh. Taking a seat next to a boy, she smiled, "Your parents don't know you're here, do they?" She had heard the men behind her talking and listened, though her attention seemed to be fully on the boy.

Innuendo Squad's Resident Lesbian

I the merc with a mouth only more badass.

Mother of darkness, mother of light, earth beneath us, soul in flight, songs of love and love of life, guide us to our heart.We all come from the Goddess and to her we shall return like a drop of rain flowing to the ocean.

Nino smiled as he took his coke and was about to speak to the interesting bartender when the woman sat beside him. “Wha, that was rather rude,” he muttered, shifting his stool over, “It is unlikely ma’am,” he told her, looking away and at the bartender for help, his bangs in his blue eyes, “Seeing as my mother left when I was five and my father died three years ago. Wha, I rather think they don’t care.”

He rubbed the scar on his cheek and looked to the bartender, giving him a wary smile, “I was wondering if anything weird has been happening around here.” He sipped his coke and unzipped his hoodie, showing the bright red t-shirt.

"Sorry to hear that, kid." she sighed, reaching to pat his back. Once she saw the barkeeper, she had to hold back her laugh from the way he was dressed. Once she had herself under control, she smiled and repeated her question, "Got any eats?"

Last edited by Belwicket on Sat Apr 30, 2011 10:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Innuendo Squad's Resident Lesbian

I the merc with a mouth only more badass.

Mother of darkness, mother of light, earth beneath us, soul in flight, songs of love and love of life, guide us to our heart.We all come from the Goddess and to her we shall return like a drop of rain flowing to the ocean.

Gabe's eyes darkened as he caught the girl stifling a giggle at him, and his genial smile fell from his face as he calmly placed the container of beer nuts in front of Grant instead of Samantha, and busied himself pouring Sylus another tall glass of water.

"Nope. No food at all, Miss. You have my deepest apologies," he said flatly, with no real apologetic feeling in his tone. When he'd finished topping off the water glass and replaced the fountain spout, he began to wipe down the already-spotless counter, turning his eyes to Nino. His friendly smile returned as he focused his attention on the young man, and his tone was far brighter. "Depends on exactly what your brand of weird is, son. Anything in particular you're lookin' for?"

"Wha," he muttered again, his verbal tic obvious. Nino moved his stool away from the girl again and looked to the bartender with a soft smile, "This that happen when they should, things that happen with no reason, things that people can't explain. Sometimes things people don't wanna explain. Wha, it's all really interesting sir." He ran his fingers through his hair and grinned. "I'm an investigator of sorts," he explained, his right leg bouncing as he took a drink, "I am pretty good too."

Grant had been sitting silently, listening to both conversations in the room. The two who had been there before him were being overly secretive, but they were too excited to keep it much to themselves. Grant grinned and chuckled inwardly as the bartender denied the girl, placing the nuts before him. He took one and ate it slowly, thinking. "If you don't mind me intruding on your conversation, I have to agree with you on the things that aren't being normal being very interesting, but don't get in over your head. I've seen way too many younger men get taken out of the game because of a bad call or an accident." Grant's accent was light, but apparent. It had always made him feel special, as he knew almost nobody with an accent as unique as his own. He stood and walked over, offering his hand. "Th'name's Grant. I'm an exterminator of sorts. You call them bug-guys when you wanna get rid of a bedbug, you call me when you wanna get rid of the boogeyman too." Grant grinned and laughed happily.

Fenix13: Remember this well Gareth: With great power... comes hot bitches.

Snakes slowly sipped at the refreshed glass of water, sighing happily. He was already looking more cooled thanks to Gabe. He began to then slowly move his eyes from side to side, taking notice of each direction where someone was just rambling and proclaiming themselves something competent or skilled. Sylus lowered his head a bit, lightly shaking his head while rubbing at his brow.

Sylus looked back up to Gabe, watching him a moment. ".... Got a paper for the area?" He then looked over, finally looking at the two who were already in the bar. "Nevermind." His eyes stayed fixed upon the newspaper they were sharing as he stood up, leaving behind his half finished glass of water.

Snakes stopped between the two men, reaching in between them with his hand to turn the paper to face him. "You two are just noisy... If you want to whisper sweet nothings all day to each other, go find a hotel." He remarked as he began reading the paper for the odd deaths they'd mentioned.

She looked curiously at the man with the nuts as she shook her head. "What's in the news?" she asked rather loudly to the man with the paper. "Anything legal to kill?" She was laughing at herself, calling herself stupid inside. She froze as there was a sudden growl from her stomach. She turned back to the bartender after waiting for the answer from the man with the paper. "If you got nothing to eat," she glanced at the nuts as if saying he was holding out on her, "can you direct me to the nearest restaurant?"

Innuendo Squad's Resident Lesbian

I the merc with a mouth only more badass.

Mother of darkness, mother of light, earth beneath us, soul in flight, songs of love and love of life, guide us to our heart.We all come from the Goddess and to her we shall return like a drop of rain flowing to the ocean.

It were days like this that made him glad he was as free as a bird, just him, his cycle and the vast open roads. But just like any bird, he sometimes needed to stop for a quick refill, be it for his bike or himself.

A sign with "Stillwater 80 miles" flashed by, he was making more progress than anticipated. A few weeks ago he was travelling with another hunter, gloomy fellow named Jim... Or was that Tim? He couldn't really remember. Either way, he had told Sam about this bar near Stillwater that was basically a hunters den. And seeing as Sam had nothing better to do, and could use a few odd jobs, he had decided to go check it out.

The place itself didn't look all that special. Have you seen one roadhouse, you've seen them all. Sam parked his bike next to a few others, but didn't immediately kill the engine and get off. He liked to feel the power of the engine rumbling between his legs. But this was wasting gas, and gas didn't grow on trees. At least, no trees Sam found yet. Given the secrets lurking in the shadows, a benzine dripping tree wouldn't be all that odd.

Sam approached the door, this was always his favorite moment. With slightly more force than necessary he threw open the door, letting his presence be known by everybody inside. The same thing always happened, no matter where he went. People would see a scruffy biker, sunglasses on, generally having the looks that he'd rather punch you in the face than say hello. He'd get either evasive looks, from people that were hoping he wouldn't go after them, or he'd get the more taunting looks, from the kind of people who were probably to drunk for their own good. He couldn't blame them though, he'd seen himself in the mirror, he'd be scared of himself if he didn't know any better.Then came the second part, the most pleasing part. The moment where he would lift off the sunglasses and reveal the bluest eyes you'd ever lay your eyes on. Suddenly he transformed from a fighter that would kick your teeth in and steal everything you got, to a kind man that you would tell your life's tale to.

Sam always enjoyed seeing those bewildered looks on peoples faces, he didn't like prejudices and this was always a surefire way of showing people their own wrongs.

He walked further into the bar, big smile on his face, and sat down at the bar a few seats away from some red haired kid. "Hey tender, can I get a glass of milk here?" He never drank alcohol if he was on the road. His old man would kill him if he ever were to damage the bike. Jim, or Tim, had been right... This place is interesting, maybe he could score a few jobs here.

"Well," Gabe started, then trailed off as he listened to the brief monologues and looked up at the entrance of the newcomer. The order got a soft chuckle from him and he moved to fetch the carton of milk from the beer cooler. It always amused him when a tough-looking guy came in and pulled a Rustler's Rhapsody.

He poured Twitch his drink and cleared his throat, looking to Sam first. "Missy, you might wanna be a trite more circumspect in your word choice."

That said, he turned to look at Nino. "Mm'yep, there's been some weirdness. Out at Stillwater, there's a repeat murder-suicide gig, and there's been some cattle mutilations in the area fairly recently."

Snakes got a dirty look from the potty-mouthed man, but the redhead snorted at him with a half-grin. "Oh, honey, you're the one gettin' all up in my personal bubble."

"Can we help you?" the one that had been called Jim Bob asked, his face painted with unamusement.

She sighed and looked to the man as she shook her head. "I just need food." she said, the smile having disappeared. "Alright? Is that too much to ask?" She stood and began heading for the door but froze by one of the tables, looking at the newspaper. "Can I borrow that?" she asked the men with a small smile, thinking she'd have something to do soon. She looked to the other man with a smirk, thinking he was the same as her, before returning her gaze to the seated men. "Or is there somewhere I can get my own?"

Innuendo Squad's Resident Lesbian

I the merc with a mouth only more badass.

Mother of darkness, mother of light, earth beneath us, soul in flight, songs of love and love of life, guide us to our heart.We all come from the Goddess and to her we shall return like a drop of rain flowing to the ocean.

“Don’t worry ‘bout me, wha,” said Nino with a grin and a flippant wave of his hand, “I can handle meself. ‘m Benigno Maks, ye can call me Maxi or Nino, your choice.” He ran his fingers through this black-tipped hair, “Tis a pleasure, wha.”

Nino watched the tall man walk in and order milk, fiddling with his ear cuff in interest. He seemed interesting. He closed his sleepy eyes and grinned, listening to the man and addressed the bartender, “Repeat murder-suicide, wha?” he asked, tilting his head like a child.

He nodded looking serious, and spoke very softly, “Can you tell me what’s odd withit? And how t’e get there? To Stillwater.” His leg bounced excitedly, he was getting to help.

He glanced at the woman, the scary touchy woman and spoke timidly, almost breathy, “You’re better off not burning bridges while they are supporting you, wha.” He warned her calmly, as truthfully as he could. He could see his father in her and she scared him.

Snakes just stepped back with the paper, turning away from the other two. "You two? No. I got the only thing that can actually help. But thanks for offering..." He mockingly commented while walking away to sit alone at a table, laying the paper down to begin browsing and searching for useful info.

Snakes lifted a cigarette from one of his pockets. The motion was quick and so instinctual that the actual pocket it came from wasn't noticed. He lit up the small stick of cancer, taking in a warm and calm breath while reading.

"There's a diner down the road, Miss, but I'd suggest being a mite more polite and not drinkin' the coffee," Gabe called to Samantha before looking back to Nino with a nod. "Pleasure, Nino. You can call me Brooks if you'll be hangin' about often.

"As for Stillwater, same thing happened in '72 and '87. Just about exact same way for both of em, too: boy's body in the car, stabbed in the heart, and the girl drowned in the lake. Funny part is, though, they never found no knife in '87, and somethin' tells me they ain't gonna find one for this'n either."

Gabe let his eyes flicker from Nino to Grant, giving the both of them a knowing look. They'd as much as outright said they were hunters, but with the new biker man in the bar, the 'tender wasn't about to go off spouting about how he suspected the repeated crimes were caused by a vengeful spirit.

J.B. snorted and downed his drink as he shot a nasty look toward Snakes's back. The redhead looked up to the girl, blinking, and then made a vague motion with his hand. "The gas station a few miles up the road's got 'em."

"Thanks." she smiled, "But my name ain't miss, it's Sam." She waved to the bartender with a smirk.She then looked back at the men with the paper. "I'll be sure to get one when I fill up my bike."She then walked backwards out of the bar and tripped over her own bike, which was not uncommon for the woman. "I'm alright!" she called back in as she got back to her feet.

Innuendo Squad's Resident Lesbian

I the merc with a mouth only more badass.

Mother of darkness, mother of light, earth beneath us, soul in flight, songs of love and love of life, guide us to our heart.We all come from the Goddess and to her we shall return like a drop of rain flowing to the ocean.

"Murder suicide huh?" Sam faced the red haired kid and bartender. He liked to listen to people talk in bars, it was a great way to gather information "Heh, sorry, didn't mean to eavesdrop or anything." He smiled at the two. He was about to inquire for more information, mostly about the whole supernatural aspect of it, when there was a crash from outside. That rather loud woman had stumbled over her feet or something, into the bikes.

You have probably never seen a man get up in a bar, as fast as Sam got on his feet. "OHYOU'DBETTERNOTHAVEDAMAGEDMYBIKE!" Or something like that, it was all a bit nonsensical. He was outside with the blink of an eye, only to see that the woman had only stumbled into one bike. His bike still stood there, shimmering in the light. Relieved that nothing had gone wrong, he looked at the woman "Heh, sorry about that. That bike kinda means a lot to me." he held out a helping hand "The name's Sam, but most call me Twitch. Again, sorry for the outburst." He smiled at the woman.

"Samantha." she smiled, pulling herself up with his hand. "But people call me Sam." Looking over the man, she began thinking. He's pretty good looking for a male. She sat on her bike and looked at the others. "Which one's yours?"

Innuendo Squad's Resident Lesbian

I the merc with a mouth only more badass.

Mother of darkness, mother of light, earth beneath us, soul in flight, songs of love and love of life, guide us to our heart.We all come from the Goddess and to her we shall return like a drop of rain flowing to the ocean.

Grant downed his drink, then nodded at the bartender. "Damn shame what this world is coming to." Grant put his money on the counter, smiling at the bartender. "Well, I thank you for the drink, and for the information. I best be on my way." He turned to leave, but hesitated. "Hey, Nino was it? You want a ride out to Stillwater? It sounds like we're looking for the same thing, and you sound like a pretty solid young chap." Grant grinned, jingling his keys. A small medallion danced as he jiggled them. Grant waited patiently, a smile on his face. Working alone didn't bother her per se, but working with someone else was always a pleasure.

Fenix13: Remember this well Gareth: With great power... comes hot bitches.

(Pick one or two bits of information to have. You can expound on how you obtained it, if you wish.)

Speaking to the murdered boy's mother would provide the following information: Eric was a B student and one of the stars of the football team. He had already been courted by a number of colleges, including Wisconsin, Oregon, and South Carolina, but he'd turned them down in favor of his dear deceased father's Alma Mater of Oklahoma State. He'd been dating Stacy since they were Freshmen, but his mother was very much of the mind that he could do better. She didn't even know how that girl had gotten on the Homecoming Court, because she was very much from the wrong side of town. She said she was hesitant to use the words "trailer trash," but she used the term rather easily when referring to Stacy Winters.

Speaking to the girl's parents would provide the following information: Stacy didn't kill Eric. She couldn't have. Sure, she was under a lot of stress, but it was senior year and it was hard to balance extra-curricular activities, the aim to be Valedictorian, a part-time job, and a boyfriend to whom she was fully and totally dedicated.

Digging deeply into the dead students' relationship with their classmates would provide the following information: Eric cheated on Stacy, and that was probably why she killed him. Everybody knew about it. It happened at a party a couple of weeks ago, and there was beer involved.

Research into the previous deaths would provide the following information: In the 1987 murder, the murder weapon was never found. The man was buried in the local cemetery, but the woman had been cremated. Her body had been found floating in the lake just as Stacy's had.

In the 1972 murder, the murder weapon was found still in the man's chest, but the suspected murderess's body had not been recovered, even after a dredge of the lake.

Research into local odd happenings would provide the following information: There have been fleeting sightings of a ghostly figure in the woods at the west bank of Stillwater Lake.

"Oh it's that pretty thing right over there" he almost gleefully said, pointing towards his bike. "Harley Davidson Softail, 1984. An oldtimer. It was a gift from my old man, it used to be his. He'd cruise around America on that thing, doing exactly the same as I'm doing right now. Yeah, nothing beats a Harley when it comes to motorcycles if you ask me" He was trailing a bit off now, not even directly speaking to Samantha anymore. "Those new age bikes? Those plastic toys? Bah, you wont see me driving one of those even if I'm dead. No fun, they're only about speed and nothing else. But where's the soul? The passion? The joy of driving down a long road feeling the roar of the engine underneath you." He sighed. "Youngsters these days... Anyway, I wont keep you up any longer. Have a nice day now, and watch your step." he gave the woman a friendly smile and made his way back inside.

Luckily his glass of milk was still waiting for him. "Women, cant live with them, cant live without them, am I right?" He gave the man who appeared to be leaving a friendly slap on the back. Turning to nobody in particular "Hey, anybody know a good place to sleep? Nothing too fancy, just clean and reasonably priced. Thats what I need." He figured he could stay here for a while, check this murder suicide thing out. "Where there's death, there's cash" his old man used to say. Might be cold, but it's the truth.